Jian Suiying had no idea how much she'd drunk that day. Before she knew it, she'd fallen asleep on the sofa.
The next day, he slept until late morning, waking up with a pounding headache.
He was utterly exasperated with himself for retreating into drinking whenever he felt overwhelmed.
After getting up, he checked his phone and found several missed calls from Li Yu.
But before confronting external threats, he needed to figure out what Li Yu was thinking. If that kid dared tell him he only had feelings for
just a little kid, and their relationship was nothing more than sleeping together, he'd bring the two of them together and deal with them both.
As he always said: whoever dared make life difficult for him, Jian Suiying, would get it back tenfold.
Jian Suiying stepped into the bathroom, scrubbing away the lingering stench of alcohol before calling the housekeeper to tidy up.
Half an hour later, he heard the sound of keys turning in the lock.
But when he turned his head, he saw a handsome young man pushing open the door. Who else could it be but Li Yu?
Without a word, Jian Suiying hurled the teacup in his hand at him, shouting: "Who the hell let you into my house? Get out!
"
Li Yu dodged the cup, which smashed into the security door behind him, splattering water onto his clothes.
Li Yu's expression remained calm as he set the supermarket bag he was carrying down on the floor. "I came to talk to you."
"
Jian Suiying's face twisted in disgust. "Who wants to talk to you? Don't you like Xiao Linzi? Go talk to him!
! Talk to whoever you want, but get the hell out of my house."
Li Yu sighed, speaking as if lecturing a child. "How old do you think you are? Why are you still so impulsive? Can't you hear me out?"
Jian Suiying wasn't stupid. Seeing Li Yu's expression and hearing his conciliatory tone, he felt a wave of relief wash over him. He realized Li Yu had come to make amends.
Sure enough, Li Yu strolled over, picked up the towel draped on the table, and began to wipe his hair. "Your hair isn't even
"You're turning the AC up this high before your hair is even dry. Aren't you afraid of catching a cold?"
Jian Suiying shoved him away, glaring fiercely. "Spit it out already. What are you pretending for?"
Li Yu lowered his hand, sat down on the sofa opposite him, and looked into his eyes earnestly. "Did you hear what I said yesterday?
didn't hear me out..."
Jian Suiying snapped, "So you can make some grand, empty promises? Fuck that."
Li Yu frowned. "Don't interrupt. Let me finish. When I was younger, I did like him. But that's in the past. Now we're just friends."
Jian Suiying extended her slender fingers to pinch his chin, asking bluntly, "Then who do you like now? Do you like me?"
After asking this question, he felt his heart racing wildly, as if something he'd longed for so deeply was now
right before his eyes, within reach. All he had to do was extend his hand...
Li Yu grabbed his hand, his expression tinged with hesitation. "Brother Jian, I..."
That split-second hesitation left Jian Suiying tasting the bitter taste of shattered dreams. An indescribable ache gripped his heart.
He yanked his hand back, turned his head, and said in a low voice: "Get out of here."
Li Yu sat beside him, wrapped his arms around him, and whispered in his ear: "Give me some time... Brother Jian, you don't understand. Just give me some time."
"Give you time? What the hell are you, a woman? What the hell do you think of me? Just say it—what's so hard about that
. Why are you making such a big deal out of this?"
Li Yu's heart was truly in turmoil.
He never considered himself fickle or romantically promiscuous. Loving one person while maintaining a physical relationship with another
. Over the past year, he'd been constantly tormented by his own principles. He couldn't find that same affection for Jian Sui Lin anymore,
yet the urge to cherish and protect someone found no place within him when faced with the overwhelming presence of Jian Suiying.
He'd always believed that when a man loved someone, he should feel the urge to protect them. Yet Jian Suying didn't need his protection—
was already commendable enough—why would she need his protection?
So until he sorted out his own feelings, he wouldn't say anything. Jian Suiying listened to the words at his ear, a complex mix of emotions stirring within him.
Li Yu rarely spoke to him with such a pleading tone. Even though resentment stirred within him, and he wanted to lash out with harsh words, he found himself unwilling to cause him any more distress.
Now he couldn't tell if he felt joy or sorrow.
Li Yu held the back of his head steady with one hand, kissing him tenderly. The exquisite sensation of their lips and teeth intertwining was endlessly satisfying
, soothing the restless turmoil within them.
Li Yu panted, asking him, "Brother Jian, is this over between us?" Jian Suying curled his lips. "You wish."
Li Yu sighed: "Then what more do you want? I've made myself perfectly clear."
Li Yu stared at him, his face flushing with embarrassment.
Jian Suiying glared at him. "Why is your ass so precious? If you really cared about me, what's wrong with making a sacrifice?"
Li Yu sighed. "Brother Jian..."
Seeing his awkward expression only infuriated Jian Suiying further. "Fine, fine, fine! Go cool your heels somewhere else. Don't bother me."
Li Yu was at a loss for words, both amused and exasperated. He leaned in and whispered into Jian Suiying's ear, "Fine, I'll make the sacrifice just this once. Will that satisfy you?"
?"
Jian Suiying's eyes suddenly lit up as he stared at him. "Really?" Li Yu nodded. "Really. Are you satisfied now?"
a flurry of kisses on Li Yu's face.
Li Yu wrapped his arms around her waist, mumbling, "But not right now, I'm telling you..."
Jian Suiying lifted his head, frowning. "What do you mean? Aren't you planning to get a beauty treatment or work on your waist muscles?"
?"
Li Yu looked at him helplessly, "Can you just give me a heads-up?" "Heads-up my ass! Did you give me any heads-up when you were on top of me?" Li Yu's expression darkened, "Don't bring that up again."
Jian Suiying looked equally disgusted. "Like I want to bring it up!" He muttered resentfully as he climbed off Li Yu.
muttering under her breath: "You must've been a woman in your past life. I've never seen anyone so overly sensitive."
Li Yu's heart skipped a beat. He shoved Jian Suiying hard onto the sofa and growled into his ear:
"I'll knock you out cold right now!"
On the surface, this incident had blown over.
Jian Suilin deliberately avoided Jian Suying, and Jian Suying had no intention of seeking trouble with him. For the time being, the two were at peace
. He was still troubled by the Beihai incident. He'd sent Xiao Linzi to investigate, but now he didn't know if the results had come back
and what Xiaolinzi's feelings toward Li Yu were.
The mere thought that Jian Suilin might also have feelings for Li Yu made him unbearably irritable. It wasn't just because this person was Li Yu, but because Li Yu was a man.
Compared to his brother having feelings for someone, the idea of his brother being attracted to a man was far more unbearable. If Xiao Linzi dared to
like men, he'd beat him half to death.
And so, Jian Suiying continued interacting with Li Yu, his unease lingering.
Days flew by, and before he knew it, Li Yu was back in school. Busy with academic matters, he visited the company less frequently.
Jian Suiying, meanwhile, was busy preparing for the shareholders' meeting. He planned to discuss with the other shareholders whether or not to invest
the Five Rings plot.